Fire-sealed lead-through for framed building components

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for the fire-sealing of a lead-through for at least one cable through a building framework comprising an inner pipe filled with precompressed elastic fire-resistant foam material and an outer pipe surrounding the inner pipe. The apparatus is mounted in a hole in the framework and the two pipes are connected to respective outer walls of the framework. Between the pipes there is a gap admitting relative movement of the pipes. The gap is sealed by the foam material filling the inner pipe and a portion of which extends into the outer pipe and presses against its inner surface.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an apparatus for the fire-sealing of alead-through for at least one cable or wire through a building componentconsisting of a framework having arranged on each side of it boards of afireproof material, preferably plaster, said apparatus comprising aninner pipe, completely or partly filled with elastic fire-resistant foammaterial precompressed transversely to the longitudinal direction of thepipe, and an outer pipe partly surrounding the inner pipe and beingdisplaceable relative to the inner pipe, the pipes, in the mountedposition of the apparatus in a hole being made through the buildingcomponent each, being intended to be connected at their outer end partsto an outer surface of the building component.

BACKGROUND

Several methods are known for fire-sealing lead-throughs for cablesand/or wires through building components. Most of these methods have incommon that they are preferably intended for walls of concrete. Usuallythese methods require a careful planning of the running of the cableand/or the wire, as these methods mean that complete lead-throughs ormounting frames for such are moulded onto the building components. Inthe cases when complete lead-throughs will be used for moulding, theseare preferably made of a corrugated pipe covering of plastic which isfilled with an elastic fire-resistant foam material. By means of aspecial tool, cables and/or wires are run through the foam, for example,according to the method which is described in Swedish patent No. 412795.

According to another method, mounting frames are moulded into thebuilding components as mentioned above. After the cables and/or wireshave been run through the space in a frame this is filled withpremanufactured fire-resistant pass pieces or with a fire-protectivesubstance.

Also known are methods to achieve fire-proof lead-throughs in alreadyexisting moulded building components. In Swedish patent application No.426 122 a method and an apparatus are described to place, in a hole madelater in a building component, an elastic body of a fire-resistant foammaterial, said body having a considerably larger diameter than the hole.According to the patent application the body is compressed in the toolwhen being inserted in the hole and remains in place by compressiontransversely to the longitudinal direction of the hole, said compressionbeing a condition for the intended functioning of the lead-through. Dueto the high costs of the fire-resistant foam material, the bodygenerally does not fill the whole length of the hole but the length ofthe body is adjusted to the fire class of the wall in question.

The fact that light building techniques are employed with increasingfrequency and that fire classed partitions are made of a frame work ofplates covered on either side with several layers of plaster board andhaving the space between the wall sides mostly filled with mineral wool,a need has arisen to be able to effectively fire-seal lead-throughs insuch frame-work walls. None of the above mentioned known arrangementsfor lead-throughs can easily be placed in an optional position in aframe-work wall. To be able to place the lead-through in an optionalposition means that it does not have to be placed in connection to, andto be carried by, a latch or a nogging piece connecting the latches.This optional placing furthermore means that the lead-through willcompletely be carried by the surface covering of the wall, preferablymade of plaster boards. When there is a fire, the plaster boards facingthe fire center will successively be destroyed. In order to delay asmuch as possible this destruction due to the heating, it is importantthat the wall not be exposed to other strains than those caused directlyby the fire. Due to the heating there are certain movements in theplaster boards, whereby a lead-through, which rigidly joins the twoouter surfaces of the wall, can give rise to cracking of the plasterboards and rapid deterioration of the wall. Therefore, a lead-throughmust have a certain movability while when it is exposed to the heat froma fire-center it, must be tight and prevent hot fire-gases as well aspoisonous and/or corrosive gases from the fire from passing through thelead-through.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus rendering possiblea quick and simple mounting of a fire-sealed lead-through in aframe-work wall with a plaster board covering. According to theinvention this is achieved by a premanufactured arrangement comprisingtwo concentrically arranged pipes pushed into each other and placed in ahole made in the frame work wall, the free ends of the pipes each beingconnected to an outer surface of the frame work wall. The inner of thetwo pipes is completely or partly filled with an elastic fire-resistantfoam material precompressed transversely to the longitudinal directionof the pipe. The arrangement is characterized in that the foam materialfilling the inner pipe in the mounted position of the arrangement partlyextends into the outer pipe and presses against its inner surface andthus seals the gap between the two pipes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view which diagrammatically shows a firstembodiment of an arrangement for the fire-sealing of a lead-throughaccording to the invention and

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of an arrangement for the fire-sealingof a lead-through according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF BEST MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1, which in cross section shows a first embodiment of anarrangement of fire-sealing of a lead-through mounted in a wall, numeral1 designates a part of a wall being built on latches (not shown), saidwall comprising double wall boards 2, 3 on either side of the latches.The space between the boards is filled with an insulating material suchas mineral wool 4. In the wall boards 2, 3 holes opposite each other aremade. In the hole in the wall board 2 a lead-through 10 has been placedconsisting of an outer pipe 5, an inner pipe 6 arranged in pipes, saidpipe 6 being filled with an elastic fire-resistant foam material 7precompressed transversely to the longitudinal direction of the pipe.One of the end parts of the outer pipe 5 has been formed with an outerflange 9, which has been fastened, in sealed manner, to the outersurface of the wall boards 2. In a start position the inner pipe 6 isfully inserted into the outer pipe 5, but after the lead-through 10 hasbeen mounted in the wall boards 2 the inner pipe 6 is retracted untilits free end part, through a screw, bayonet or similar socket connectionhas been joined to a flange 11 inserted from the outer side of the wallinto the hole in the wall boards 3, said flange being sealingly fastenedto the outer surface of the boards 3. In order to admit certainmovements in the wall material caused by the heat, when there is a fire,and to facilitate the mounting of a lead-through into the wall, there isa gap 12 between the outer pipe 5 and the inner pipe 6. The gap 12 hasbeen made fire-resistant and gas-sealing because a portion 8 of the foammaterial filling 7 in the inner pipe 6 extends into the outer pipe 5 andpresses against its inner surface.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 differs from the embodiment shown in FIG.1 only in that the inner pipe 6 is provided with an integral flange 13.Thus, the risk of possible gas leakage through the joint between theinner pipe 6 and the loose flange 11 has been eliminated. Thisembodiment requires a greater exactitude when mounting, because theentire inner pipe 6, with its precompressed foam material filling 7 mustbe fitted into the outer pipe 5 inside the wall. The fitting is mademore difficult by the presence of the foam material part 8 which isexpanding in free condition, which firstly must be inserted into theouter pipe 5, and against which it presses with the highest possiblepressure. In order to prevent the part 8, when it is not surrounded bythe outer pipe 5, from expanding so much that it is not easy to have itplaced in its original position again, it is reinforced with a net ofplastic or textile (not shown) which, when part 8 is reasonablyexpanded, is stretched and prevents further expansion without preventingthe part 8 from pressing against the inner surface of the outer pipe 5with full pressure when in the mounted position of the lead-through.Furthermore, the net is designed in such a manner that it does notprevent passage of the cable through the lead-through.

I claim:
 1. A method of fire-sealing a lead-through for at least onecable or wire in the framework of a building comprised of two spacedwalls, said method comprisingforming a hole through the frameworkinclusive of aligned holes in the spaced walls, inserting through thehole in the framework a lead-through formed of an inner pipe containingan elastic, fire-resistant foam material precompressed transversely inthe pipe and an outer pipe surrounding the inner pipe over a portion ofthe length of the inner pipe with a gap providing capability of relativeaxial displacement between the pipes, sealably connecting outer ends ofthe inner and outer pipes to respective walls of said framework suchthat the gap between the pipes permits relative movement of the walls,and sealing said gap during said movement by said foam material, aportion of which, extends out of the inner pipe and presses against theinner surface of the outer pipe while the remainder of the foam materialremains in the inner pipe, under pressure, in sealed relation with theinner surface of the inner pipe.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1wherein the outer ends of the inner and outer pipes are sealed to thewalls at said aligned holes therein.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 1wherein during installation of the lead-through in the hole, the innerpipe is axially inserted fully into the outer pipe and is axiallyretracted from the outer pipe after the lead-through is inserted intosaid hole.
 4. A fire-sealed lead-through for a least one cable or wirein the framework of a building comprised of two spaced walls, theframework having a hole therethrough extending through said walls, saidlead-through comprising concentric inner and outer pipes, said outerpipe surrounding said inner pipe over a position of the length of theinner pipe and forming an annular gap therewith, means sealablyconnecting each of said pipes to a respective wall of the framework suchthat the gap between the pipes permits relative movement of the walls,and an elastic fire-resistant foam material filling said inner pipe andprecompressed in the transverse direction of the pipe such that aportion of the foam material extends out of the inner pipe and pressesagainst the inner surface of the outer pipe to seal said gap duringrelative movement of said pipes.
 5. A lead-through as claimed in claim 4wherein said foam material is reinforced to permit the inner and outerpipes to become separated and the inner pipe to be reinserted into theouter pipe.
 6. A lead-through as claimed in claim 4 wherein said meanswhich sealably connects each of the pipes to a respective wall of theframework comprises a flange for each pipe sealably secured to therespective said wall.
 7. A lead-through as claimed in claim 6 wherein atleast one of said flanges is integral with the respective pipe.
 8. Alead-through as claimed in claim 4 wherein said foam material fills saidinner pipe over substantially the entire axial length thereof.